When Money Gets Tight: How Turkish Gen Z Changes Their Fashion Shopping Habits and Adapts to Involuntary Anti-Consumerism

Hilal Argun, Katherine Jane Baxter (), Anna Kyawt Ni and Mark Ching-Pong Poo
Additional contact information
Hilal Argun: Liverpool Hope Business School, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
Katherine Jane Baxter: Liverpool Hope Business School, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
Anna Kyawt Ni: Liverpool Hope Business School, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
Mark Ching-Pong Poo: Liverpool Hope Business School, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK

Businesses, 2025, vol. 5, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: This study explores how Turkish Generation Z adapts their fashion consumption behaviours in response to economic crises, particularly focusing on involuntary anti-consumerism. Through a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling, the research captures the coping strategies and emotional experiences of young consumers in Türkiye. A thematic analysis of fifteen interviews reveals an original “8Rs” framework—Reject, Restrict/Reduce, Reuse/Reclaim, Re-find, Reconsider, Re-framing Discounts, Re-direction of Resources, and Emotional Responses—that illustrates both behavioural and psychological adjustments under financial strain. Notably, the study introduces two novel concepts: “recession rush,” a calculated urgency to purchase before price hikes, and “re-direction of resources,” the reallocation of budget from other categories toward fashion purchases. By focusing on a geographically underrepresented context and a pivotal consumer segment, this research contributes new insights to the literature on anti-consumption, economic adaptation, and youth identity expression in crisis economies.

Keywords: anti-consumption; Gen Z; Fashion consumption; economic crisis; alternative shopping methods; Türkiye (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A1 D0 D4 D6 D7 D8 D9 E0 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 F0 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 G0 G1 G2 H0 J0 K2 L0 L1 L2 M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 N0 N1 N2 O0 O1 P0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/3/36/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/3/36/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jbusin:v:5:y:2025:i:3:p:36-:d:1732524

Access Statistics for this article

Businesses is currently edited by Dr. Patrick Han

More articles in Businesses from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().